Jeong Suk Pang wrote:
>
> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 16:56:46
> To: xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu
> From: David Kirshner <c1474 who-is-at er.uqam.ca>
> Subject: Re: AERA and Friere
>
> Let me add my voice to the call of others who lacked the
> time, money, or opportunity to meet F2F with many of our
> listserve family at the activity theory presession of AERA.
> A sense of the dynamics of the presession as a whole, as well
> as personally memorable moments, would be most appreciated.
>
> ...
> Meanwhile, I'll offer a brief report of what for me was the
> most moving of the AERA presentations, session 37.19,
> _Paulo Friere in Memoriam_.
> The session was held in one of the Marriott Hotel mega-rooms crammed with
> many thousands of interested scholars. The session began with a brief address
> by his widow, who described Paolo as a Friend, Teacher, and Husband.
> Her words were translated, so those of us who are not Spanish speaking
> had to wait to understand the cause of the good natured laughter and
> bantering of the Hispanic listeners. (She promised she would censor the
> last portion of her address on Paolo as a husband.)
>
> This set the stage for what was not a mourning of the death, so much as
> a celebration of the life, of this much loved liberation scholar. The
> speakers, Donaldo Macedo, Linda Brodkey, Peter McLaren, Henry Giroux,
> and Antonia Darder, shared personal anecdotes about Friere, and gave
> brief reports on the general importance of his work to the politics of
> struggle, and to their own lifes and careers. About the person, many
> spoke of his love, his courage, and his personal connection to those
> around him, as well as his general engagement in life: "I cannot imagine
> a revolutionary who does not love good food." Some reported that many were
> shocked when he remarried after the death of his first wife; but in
> retrospect, nothing could be more characteristic of his belief in life
> and engagement.
>
> His work provided a vehicle to legitimate what for many educators
> and scholars had been their own personal commitment to political
> struggle on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised through education.
> Because his was the only voice offering guidance and support at this
> time, his work holds special personal significance for many educators.
> Of special note was his diplomatic but firm critique of the politics
> of separation of races, genders, etc. that has tended to balkanize class
> struggle in the U.S.
>
> All of the speakers spoke with deep commitment. In introducing Giroux,
> Macedo shared that the order was partly dictated by the reputations of
> some: McLaren had telephoned him at 2:00 AM to say: "I'm not following
> Giroux." Like the others, Giroux spoke with great energy and force.
> But Antonia Darder who did follow him was truly inspired. Her eloquence
> gushed out from her, leaving me (and I sensed all assembled) transported
> to a state of deep reflection and communion. After the formal presentations
> time remained for five or six of his former friends and students to share
> brief anecdotes or testimonials about Paolo. As one who has not had
> occasion to study his work in depth, I felt honored and inspired to be
> present for these testaments of those who did.
>
> David Kirshner
>
> Louisiana State University
> cikirs who-is-at lsuvm.sncc.lsu.edu